


The Bittersweet Ending

by welcometothisday



Series: Mirror Mirror... [3]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, First Kiss, M/M, Other, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 17:31:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19430743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometothisday/pseuds/welcometothisday
Summary: "Advisors and scholars will tell you that history is a narrative of strength. They will recount stories of the rise and fall of nations and empires. There will be stories of armies, battles, and decisive victories.But this isn’t true strength, it’s merely power. I now believe true strength is found in vulnerability. In forgiveness. In love. There is a beautiful, upside-down truth, which is that these moments of purest strength appear as weakness to those who don’t know better.For a long time, I didn’t know better."- King Harrow, The Dragon Prince





	The Bittersweet Ending

**Author's Note:**

> A bittersweet ending.

The war was over, and all was done. Whether he lost or won depended on history’s point of view once again, but there was something Aaravos had to do. Turning to someone, he asked a single question, and after a short travel, he appeared at a stone on a small hill. The people who he had been surrounded by were patient enough to give him space for that tiny, unremarkable grave, unknowing and confused as to why he would wish to see it.

The elf felt more ancient than he imagined, seeing the fading name, as time began to forget you. 

It was dark, the sky filled with dark clouds as you lay in the soil. He knew that you wanted to see the ocean, and be in the reflection of the sky. Few knew of your smile, your jokes, or your laugh. They didn't know your fears, your scars, or the reason why you sang and danced in the rain. They wouldn't know how the two of you danced despite never touching. Of all of the times you teased each other. All of those little moments that he should've said something, but couldn't. And he had learned many of those things, painfully.

You both had wanted him to be free, and it was too late now. 

His thumb brushed over the engraving as it would your cheek.

The two of you never even held hands, and you never would.

Closing his eyes, Aaravos looked up at the raining sky, smiling softly.

What hurt the most, wasn't the things you did, but what you didn't do. If he had only one thing he could've done differently, out of everything, he wished he had told you that he would trade the world you'd given him, for just one more moment with you.

The hollow thunder roared in the background. The startouch elf could hear your melody, see the expressions that made him feel young, whole, once more, and...

He never could, ever again. He sang your melody, letting the emotions and memories run through him. Anything, for the numbness to leave him.

Aaravos had been there for hours, maybe days, His throat ached as he searched for something, for anything. The rain eventually stopped, and in part of the sky, where the clouds had dissipated slightly, were stars. He walked close to the water nearby, and saw their reflection in its depths. 

In it and within his memories, he saw your smile as you danced. From a distance, yet again, he danced with you to the music no one else could hear.

One day, you would meet again, and he would tell you just what you meant to him.

* * *

"Aaravos?"

He opened his eyes, something tugging at his heart. You were there, with him. It wasn't an illusion or hallucination. You were actually there. Smiling, he reached out, and embraced you at long last. You were warm, and soft, and held on just as tightly as he did, both of your eyes watering.

Inspecting your hands, seeing the scars and scratches, he examined you, finding all of the flaws that you claimed to be so. It was not the same for him. The markings of your pain, and your joy. They were symbols of your life, and he finally got to hold them.

Stars, you were so warm.

"My eyes are up here?" you teased, confusion still laying in those beautiful colors. "Aaravos-?"

He had missed so much, and now? Now, there you were, with him. His forehead touched yours, and he said, "How I've longed to hear the sound, of your voice."

Those words were enough to tell you what you already knew. Sometimes, there were moments that didn't need words to convey what was in your heart, in both of yours. Smiling, you returned the touch you were unable to feel before. Squeezing his hand tightly, you silently bend up to him, silently asking for permission. He leaned down, cupping your cheek as he met you halfway.

"...I love you too."

Down in Xadia, the skies began to cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!
> 
> EDIT
> 
> 12/11/2019 - Hey everybody, a group and I had a research project for a few classes that involves a survey. We needed a larger sample size. I'm happy to say that we got more than enough responses for the project and I just wanted to thank everyone for helping out.
> 
> If you want to check out the results, here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-5ZFXQ8JS7/
> 
> Thank you!


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